Girl, You're Amazing
by chalantness
Summary: He sighs. "I guess neither of us have been really honest with who we are." "No, we haven't," she agrees. "But that's going to change, right?" She looks at him. "Yeah."


**Characters/Pairings.** MikeTina

Disclaimer: Glee © Fox

* * *

**Girl, You're Amazing**

By sakuracherish814

* * *

"You know…we don't really know much about each other."

Mike turns to the girl beside him, about to protest her statement, before it dawns on him that she was right. He frowns.

"I guess not."

Tina sighs and taps her pen to her notebook.

The two of them were, once again, paired up for another one of Mr. Schue's partner assignments for glee. This time, it had been in the reverse—Mike had been the one to draw _her_ name, calling her "Asian" and eliciting an amused laugh from her and the others. They were supposed to sing to each other, again, but they were to create a mash-up based on the songs they chose.

It seemed simple enough. Except for the fact that they had to choose the songs based on what they knew about each other. (It was supposed to be another one of Mr. Schue's _bonding_ assignments, which no one understood why they needed—well, not until now.)

"So…" Tina spoke up again, exaggerating the "o" as she spoke, "what do we do?"

"Simple," he says, putting down his own notebook and pen. "We learn as much as we can about each other by tomorrow so we can work on the mash-up."

She arches an eyebrow at him, seemingly intrigued by his solution. "Okay, I'll bite. But how do we do that, exactly?"

He shrugs. "I guess we should cover the basics and go on from there."

She nods. "Sounds good."

"_But _I think this is going to need some snacks," he suggests, getting off of the bed. "And drinks. Shall we move to the kitchen?" he asks, extending a hand towards her.

She smiles and takes that had, and he pulls her off of the bed and onto her feet. "We shall."

Since they're at his house, she's the one who follows him. His parents are both out working late tonight and, despite the fact Mike had told them she would be there, and that his parents told him they were perfectly fine with it, she was kind of glad that Mr. and Mrs. Chang were not present. She had a hard enough time as it was connecting with her peers, let alone the _parents_ of those peers.

Once inside the kitchen, she sits herself cross-legged on one of the cushions at the dining room table.

He opens the cabinet. "How does chips and salsa sound? And," he leans over to pull open the fridge, "fruit punch?"

"Sounds great," she told him.

A moment of silence passed between them as he was pouring the chips into a bowl, the salsa into a smaller bowl, and their fruit punches into glasses. But, strangely, she realized this silence was fairly comfortable. It fit. It was kind of a bizarre feeling, but she quickly shook it away. It was probably nothing.

"Here you go," he says, placing everything down on the table before sitting himself beside her. "So. Who's going first?"

Tina purses her lip.

He laughs again. "I guess I'll go first," he suggests.

She smiles appreciatively. "Sorry."

"No problem," he reassures, waving the detail away. "So. Basics? Well, I'm an only child. I'm Chinese and…something else. I can't remember. My parents told me once but…"

"You weren't paying attention?" she guesses.

He points at her. "Exactly." She laughs. "Anyway, um…I've lived in Lima my whole life. I love dancing, but I was—"

"Once too afraid to dance outside your bedroom?" she finishes. "And you love football."

He smiles at her. "Good. You pay attention," he tells her, and she shrugs her shoulders. "But, you were wrong about the football thing."

She looks at him. "What?" she questions. "You don't like football?"

"Well, I mean, I _do_," he explains, "but, I don't know. I loved it in grade school, and middle school. But once we got to high school, I only joined because Matt and Finn and Puck really wanted to. But it kind of doesn't help that we suck."

Tina processes this information. "I never would have guessed that about you."

He shrugs. "Isn't that the whole point of this?"

"I guess…But do Finn, Matt, and Puck know you don't like football anymore?"

"…Not exactly."

She gives him a look. "They're your best friends," she reminds. "You're not going to keep doing something you fell out of love with just to please others, are you?"

He ponders this. "I guess not. But between glee and football and school, especially now that its junior year, it's probably best to leave it as is."

She sighs, unconvinced, but doesn't press on any further. "Okay," she says, "what else is there?"

* * *

"Favorite color?"

"Red. You?"

"Guess."

A chuckle. "Black?"

"Wrong!"

Mike looks at her, his hand paused over the chips. "Really?"

"That's so stereotypical of you, just because I'm Goth," she reminds, though there is a certain spark in her eyes, so it's safe for Mike to assume she was only _acting_ upset. "But, yes, black is _not_ my favorite color. Blue is." And, as if to prove her point, she fingers the blue streaks in her hair.

"Huh," he says, staring at the streaks like it was the first time he's seen them. "I never would have guessed."

"Well, isn't that the whole point of this?" she asks in a semi-mocking tone.

He points at her again. "You stole that from me."

"Guilty as charged." Then she reaches for another chip. "Mmm…favorite sport?"

He rolls his eyes. "Football."

"Could have fooled me."

"You?"

She gives him a look. "I don't play sports."

"Doesn't mean you don't have a favorite," he reminds.

She purses her lips. "Well, I played volleyball all throughout middle school, and I loved it—so I guess volleyball."

He looks a little surprised by this. "You played volleyball?"

"And basketball," she adds in a tone that tells him _Asian parents—what're you going to do?_

"That's it," he declares, clapping his hands and rubbing them together. "Once this is done, I'm challenging you to a little volleyball."

She rolls her eyes but laughs. "Fine. Suit yourself." Then she pauses again. "Um, favorite—"

"Actually," he interrupts, "_I_ have a question for _you_."

She arches her eyebrow. "Okay, shoot."

"Why are you Goth?"

Her eyebrows rise automatically, both surprised and intrigued by the question. To tell the truth, she had never been asked _why_ she'd gone Goth, exactly. People just looked at her as a freak and moved on. Of course, it was talk amongst her family and peers how sweet little Tina Cohen-Chang was suddenly Goth, but other than that, no one had spoken of it.

"I like the style," she admits in a hesitant tone. "But, honestly, it was to get back at my parents." She looks at him, and he's waiting for an explanation. She sighs. "I had this best friend in grade school who was Goth. She was amazing. But she moved away, and as soon as she did, my parents said some…stuff, and it made me really mad."

"So you went Goth to get revenge for your best friend?" he guesses.

She shrugs. "Basically. But, it's not just _that_ anymore—I mean, I really do like this style. It suits me."

"It suits you," he repeats. "Because, honestly, Tina, I never got how that made sense," he told her. "If _I_ were a therapist, I'd say there's another reason."

She laughs softly because she assumes he's just messing with her, but when she looks up to meet his gaze, he looks serious.

"Tina," he continues because her face falls and she looks away, "it's not that it looks _bad_ on you, but, come on—you're sweet, and shy, and smart. I remember who you were in middle school. You changed for another reason."

"People tend to push you away when you're a freak," she reminds. "You and I both know that. You hid your dancing to fit in, and I—"

"Hid yourself?"

She bites her lower lip but nods. "I guess that's what I did."

He sighs. "I guess neither of us have been really honest with who we are."

"No, we haven't," she agrees.

"But that's going to change, right?"

She looks at him.

"Yeah."

* * *

"Okay, I think our brains have reached their maximum capacity," Mike declares.

Tina laughs but nods in agreement. "Besides," she adds, looking at her phone for the time, "my parents should be on their way soon."

Mike stands and unzips his jacket, fanning himself with his hand. "It's kind of stuffy in here," he tells her, turning around to crack open a window, and honestly, Tina's cheeks are flushed, but it's not because of the heat. Underneath his jacket, Mike was _shirtless_.

She gulped.

"Tina," he says, waving at her to get her attention. "You okay? You look really…"

But his voice trails off as she looks up to meet his gaze. He never finishes his sentence.

She doesn't know what's come over her. When she gets off of the bed, it's as if someone else was pulling the strings.

Maybe it's because they've just opened up to each other—just threw their worries and insecurities out the window and spilled themselves out, vulnerable and open for each other to see. Or maybe it's because Mike was still shirtless and his abs were in full view and looking particularly delicious. Or maybe it's because he was wearing her favorite color—blue.

The heat, Tina finally decides. It's because it's so hot and stuffy in his room that neither of them really know what they're doing.

"My stutter was fake," she whispers, and it's so low that she's surprised he even heard it.

"Yeah?" he asks.

"Yeah."

"Oh," he whispers back. And, even lower, "It's okay."

"I hate who I am," she whispers again. "That's why I'm Goth—it helped me feel like I was strong. I hate how I can't assert myself for what I want."

"What _do _you want?" he asks, and she doesn't know how, but she's only standing inches away now.

"I—"

She'd been about to say _I don't know_, which would have been a lie.

But right then and there, something inside the both of them seems to snap.

She kisses him.

Just jumps up, combs her fingers through his black locks, and brings their lips together.

Neither of them have any reaction time. His arms are around her waist just as instantly and he kisses her back hungrily as if he'd been expecting this—as if this is what he had wanted to happen. Neither of them stops to question if this was smart, if they were going to regret this, if they were willing to do down this route.

It feels _right_. They feel _sparks._

And that's reason enough.

* * *

Tina tries to avoid Mike all day. Why? Because, frankly, last night freaked her out. She didn't want to bring Mike down to her level for selfish reasons.

But avoiding a person who shared three periods and a circle of mutual friends with you was extremely difficult. _Extremely._

But, _somehow_, she manages to pull it off by avoiding glancing in his general direction, keeping her eyes glued to the teacher or the board or the assignment, running (or walking _really_ quickly) between periods, and skipping out on lunch and hiding behind the bleachers.

However, when it came to after school, there was no way she could avoid him during glee.

And, yes, the thought of skipping out on glee _had_ crossed her mind, and she'd been so close to succeeding if Mr. Schue hadn't chosen to strike up a conversation and walk with her from her locker to the choir room. Since his classroom was across the hall from her locker, and they were heading in the same direction, there was really no avoiding it.

She lowers her head to hide her face behind her hair and rushes to sit beside Kurt and Mercedes, making it a point to stare at the piano and nothing else.

"So," Mr. Schuester says, clapping his hands together once everyone was seated, "has anyone gotten any ideas for this week's assignment?"

They look around the room, and no one's hands go up, not even Rachel's.

Until someone clears their throat. "I've been working on something, Mr. Schue."

It's Mike.

Mr. Schue smiles. "Excellent."

And he takes a seat near Finn and Santana, clearing the floor for Mike.

But Mike isn't the only one to stand. Finn, Matt, Puck, Artie, and Kurt all join him—each, excluding Artie, bringing over some of the stools and forming a semi-circle.

They watch the guys warily as they set themselves up. They all have these knowing sort of smirks on their faces, and Matt mock-punches Mike's shoulder and whispers something that makes them laugh, and it's secretly killing Tina that she has no idea what he's trying to pull off.

"Who's your partner, again, Mike?' Mr. Schue asks, even though Tina's sure they all know whose partner is whose, and she has a feeling he's in on it too.

Mike smiles, and as soon as she glances at Tina, her eyes cut to the floor by his feet. "Tina."

"Okay," Mr. Schue says. "You may begin."

The boys all look at Mike, who doesn't seem to notice this as he stares at Tina, who finally looks up to meet his gaze. She sucks in a sharp breath, as if to brace herself.

"_(Ahhhhh, ah-ah-ahhh,  
ah-ah-ahh-ah, ah-ah-ahh)_

_Oh, her eyes, her eyes  
Make the stars look like they're not shining_

_Her hair, her hair  
Falls perfectly without her trying_

_She's so beautiful  
And I tell her every day_

Her eyes widen as she immediately recognizes the song.

Somewhere in the background, she hears the girls murmuring to each other, looking between her and Mike, but she ignores this.

"_Yeah, I know, I know  
When I compliment her she won't believe me_

_And it's so, it's so  
Sad to think she don't see what I see_

_But every time she asks me, 'Do I look okay?'  
I say_

She may be sitting down, but her heart is beating like she'd just run a thousand miles.

Their eyes have never left each other's since the boys had begun to sing to them—since _he'd_ begun to sing to _her_—and she has to remind herself to breathe.

"_When I see your face  
There's not a thing that I would change_

'_Cause you're amazing  
Just the way you are_

_And when you smile  
The whole world stops and stares for awhile_

'_Cause, girl, you're amazing  
Just the way you are_

She feels the blood rush to her cheeks.

There is a collective sigh and chorus of _aww_s from the other girls, which only make her blush harder.

"_Yeah,_ _her lips, her lips  
I could kiss them all day if she let me_

_Her laugh, her laugh  
She hates but I think it's so sexy_

_She's so beautiful  
And I tell her every day_

He slides off of the stool and walks slowly towards her.

She holds her breath again, sitting upright in her chair as if she was bracing herself.

(For what, exactly, she had yet to find out.)

"_Oh, you know, you know, you know  
I'd never ask you to change_

_If perfect's what you're searching for  
Then just stay the same_

_So don't even bother asking if you look okay  
You know I'll say_

He's in front of her now, sliding himself into the seat beside hers and bumping her lightly, cocking an eyebrow.

She lets out a laugh, as do the rest of them.

But, as he enters the chorus, his expression shifts. He's still smiling at her, but there's something…_different_ about it. It was a bit more serious, as if he was trying to tell her that he truly meant what the lyrics were telling her, and it wasn't just some way to apologize or cheer her up.

"_When I see your face  
There's not a thing that I would change_

'_Cause you're amazing  
Just the way you are_

_And when you smile  
The whole world stops and stares for awhile_

'_Cause, girl, you're amazing  
Just the way you are_

He reaches out, almost hesitantly, as if he were afraid to touch her.

She doesn't realize she'd been holding her breath again until she sighs as his fingers brush back a few strands of her hair and tuck them behind her ear.

"_The way you are_

_The way you are_

_Girl, you're amazing  
Just the way you are_

_When I see your face  
There's not a thing that I would change_

'_Cause you're amazing  
Just the way you are_

_And when you smile  
The whole world stops and stares for awhile_

'_Cause, girl, you're amazing  
Just the way you are_"

The others erupt into applaud, with various whistles from Puck and Matt.

But neither of them pays attention to their friends. They're smiling at each other, their eyes locked and their faces only inches apart. Tina feels more blood rushing to her cheeks, but she easily pushes this to the back of her mind and leans forward, their lips meeting in the middle. This time it's sweet and gentle, but it doesn't lack the same sparks there'd been the previous night.

There are more hoots and hollers and whistling, so much so that Mike and Tina pull apart because they can no longer contain their laughter.

"Did you finally get what you wanted?" he whispers.

She bites her lower lip. "Yeah. I did."

* * *

"What if they don't like me?" Tina asks, catching Mike's hand before he was completely out of the door.

Mike tugs her out with little protest from her because, despite the fact she was nervous what his grandparents would think of her and her Goth style, she couldn't help but feel a strange surge. Besides, it's kind of hard to try and resist when he leans down to whisper to her, his breath warm against her ear, "They'll love you. You're perfect."

She feels the blush rush to her cheeks, elbowing him playfully. "You know, eventually that will stop working on me," she reminds.

He laughs. "I doubt it."

And she finds herself no longer feeling nervous as he leads her into the dining room, beaming as Mike looks down and smiles back and introduces her as his girlfriend. She bows respectfully, greeting them softly, and his grandmother smiles at her and turns to Mike and tells him, "She's pretty."

Tina blushes further, especially as he kisses her cheek for his parents and grandparents to see.

"I know."

* * *

**A/n.** Another random Mike/Tina fic because I couldn't get the idea, and the _song_, out of my head!

Plus, I saw the "hook-ups" promo and that one second of Mike and Tina kissing just made me freak out and put a goofy smile on my face! So I _had_ to incorporate it!

_But…_I might go back and edit this. _MIGHT! _Maybe re-write or add things, because it (kind of) feels rushed and unfinished to me…so yeah…keep that in mind!

_So you read it. Love it? Hate it? Please review it!_


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